The present invention relates to weight scales and more specifically to a scale having a holographic projector.
Weight scales are well-known in the art. A scale may use one of a variety of weighing mechanisms to measure weight, and most commonly-used weighing mechanisms require placement of the scale on a hard, flat surface such as a bathroom floor. A typical scale is kept flat on a bathroom floor. Many people weigh themselves in the privacy of their bathrooms before or after bathing. A pervasive feature of personal weight scales is a display or dial which indicates the weight information sought by the user.
Many people consider a scale to be a necessary bathroom appliance. In particular, individuals concerned with their weight tend to check their weight on a regular basis, and thus they will have a scale at home. Many of these individuals concerned with their weight may be overweight or of large stature and may experience difficulty viewing the scale display while standing. For example, an individual with a large, protruding stomach may not be able to see over the stomach to see the display. Someone else may have a bad back and experience unsteadiness when bending over to view the display.
Prior attempts to solve these problems used a scale with a vertical column supporting a dial display or electronic display of the user""s weight. These scales commonly are referred to as beam scales and are found, for example, in locker rooms and doctor offices.
Additional attempts have been made to design scales with electronic displays separate from the scale that may be placed in front of the user. Such electronic displays may be connected by wires or by wireless RF telemetry. The separate electronic display may be mounted, for example, on the wall near the scale, permitting the user to look directly forward to see the weight measurement without attempting to view the scale itself.
However, whether using a beam scale or a detached display, the user must contend with having adequate space and tolerance for a scale that may be fairly obtrusive. For example, a beam scale cannot be stored easily in a cabinet out of sight, while a wall-mounted detached display may need to remain on the wall, detracting from the room""s decor. Were a scale to use a standard optical projector to project the display onto a wall, this may require, however, the wall to have a solid, light, smooth background. Projection onto a dark, patterned, or textured surface may be significantly more difficult to read. Thus, although many people would prefer not to have a scale be predominant in their bathrooms these people simply may tolerate having an obtrusive scale for the lack of a better alternative. It would therefore be advantageous to have a scale that is compact and flat, without a beam or detachable display, but nonetheless permits a large user to read the weight measurement without bending over, and without the requirements of a standard optical projector.
The present invention provides a weight scale having a holographic projector that projects a holographic image at a predetermined distance from the platform, such as 3 to 4 feet. The holographic image would serve as a virtual three-dimensional display of the weight measurement. The holographic image would appear in mid-air and not need to be reflected by a solid, light, smooth background. The image preferably would be visible to a user without the user bending over to view it. The scale also could include, for example, a body fat monitor or body mass index measurement device.
A scale according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention may include an upper surface upon which a user can stand, a weight measurement mechanism, and a holographic projector. During operation, as when a user is standing on the scale, the holographic projector emits a visible indication of the weight measured. In an exemplary embodiment, the holographic projector may project an alphanumeric holographic image. When not in use, the holographic projector may be dark and inactive.